Braking in Emergencies
At some time, nearly every driver gets into
a
situation
that requires hard braking.
You have the rear-wheel anti-lock braking system. Your
front wheels can stop rolling when
you
brake very hard.
Once they do, the vehicle can’t respond to your steering.
Momentum will carry it in whatever direction it was
headed when the front wheels stopped rolling. That
could be
off
the road, into the very thing you were trying
to avoid, or into traffic.
So,
use a “squeeze” braking technique. This will give
you maximum braking while maintaining steering
control. You
do
this by pushing on the brake pedal with
steadily increasing pressure. When
you
do, it will help
maintain steering control.
In many emergencies, steering
can help you more than even the very best braking.
Steering
Power Steering
If
you
lose power steering assist because the engine
stops or the system is not functioning, you
can
steer but
it will take much more effort.
Steering Tips
Driving on
Curves
It’s important to take curves at
a
reasonable speed.
A
lot
of
the “driver lost control” accidents mentioned on
the news happen on curves. Here’s why:
Experienced driver or beginner, each
of
us is subject to
the same laws
of
physics when driving
on
curves. The
traction
of
the tires against the road surface makes it
possible for the vehicle
to
change its path when you turn
the front wheels.
If
there’s no traction, inertia will keep
the vehicle going in the same direction.
If
you’ve ever
tried
to
steer a vehicle
on
wet ice, you’ll understand this.
The traction you can get in
a
curve depends on the
condition of your tires and the road surface, the angle at
which the curve is banked, and your speed. While
you’re
in
a curve, speed
is
the one factor you can
control.
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